Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent music venues.
The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
The money assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer announced that the act would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician she split her award across several good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," the artist told a publication.
In recent years, the band donated their funds to the community center that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," said singer the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
